Parkinson's is a disease that affects nerve cells - called neurons - in the region of the brain controlling muscle movement. Those suffering from Parkinson's disease may experience difficulty walking, muscle rigidity, trembling, and problems with coordination. The disease is progressive - meaning its symptoms become progressively worse over time.

Originally developed in China over 1,000 years ago, Tai Ji is an internal Chinese martial art practiced to increase health, balance, and longevity. Tai Ji is characterized by the use of leverage through the joints based on coordination and relaxation into the movements, rather than muscle tension. While also used in self-defense, Tai Ji has innumerable applications, including relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind, improving strength and flexibility, increasing internal circulation, and promoting relaxation.

The world of medicine is looking towards non-traditional therapies to treat the various aspects of Parkinson's disease and side effects of treatment. "There is a lot of interest in alternative therapies for Parkinson's disease, but not enough information," said Lyvonne Carreiro, a Parkinson's disease care coordinator at the University of Florida in a 2002 Reuters article. "Patients should let their physicians know if they're interested in such treatments."

Due to her patients' requests, Carreiro led her own research of Tai Ji's benefit upon Parkinson's patients. Carreiro and her colleagues reported that Tai Ji appeared to reduce the number of falls in Parkinson's patients. The Tai Ji patients - when contrasted with the control group which did not take Tai Ji classes after 12 weeks - were less likely to have an increase in the severity of their Parkinson's disease and less likely to have a decline in motor function.

In a separate study, Tai Ji was proven to improve balance control in healthy elderly subjects. Forty-nine community-dwelling elderly subjects voluntarily participated in an intervention program of either supervised Tai Ji or general education for 90 minutes, six-times a week for eight weeks. Researchers witnessed incredible improvements of balance in elderly subjects after as little as four weeks.

Clearly, Tai Ji is more than a Chinese balancing act. This ancient art form increases balance, mobility, and increases motor and muscle awareness. Thousands of Parkinson's disease sufferers have benefited from this joint-friendly exercise and experienced reduced symptoms of the disease.

For more information on Tai Ji, please call (800) 729-0941 or visit www.PacificCollege.edu